Windows Update disabled my USB keyboard support

I have Windows update enabled on a boring Intel chipset system running Windows 7. I see a huge list of updates. I allow it to update.

I come back to my PC later and the keyboard doesn't work. Can't unlock the screen. Reboot into the BIOS, keyboard works. Boot into Windows, dead. Try another keyboard. Still works in BIOS, still dead in Windows.

Remember that I have a PS/2 port, plug it in, keyboard works fine. I get into Windows, and device manager shows an exclamation point next to a USB hub. I click it and the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard installer launches, informing me that my keyboard and mouse are being updated. This sits there for about 20 minutes (inexplicably doing nothing as far as I could tell). Eventually it finishes, and Windows informs me that I need to download a USB 3.0 driver for my computer ( I am not using the USB3 controller for the keyboard but whatever). I reinstall the USB 3.0 drivers for my computer (which are already installed and again for a device I am not using). Hurrah keyboard works again.

1) What the fuck?2) How the hell would I have solved this if I hadn't been lucky enough to still have a PS2 port? Windows disabling USB to (mis)install some frivolous keyboard update seems like it would be catastrophic if someone didn't have PS2 and/or RDP available.

This is seriously infuriating, and it makes me realize exactly why MS has such a hard time getting people to patch Windows. I know why security updates are important, but even so I don't want to ever run Windows Update again.

2) How the hell would I have solved this if I hadn't been lucky enough to still have a PS2 port? Windows disabling USB to (mis)install some frivolous keyboard update seems like it would be catastrophic if someone didn't have PS2 and/or RDP available.

safe mode?

USB3 is all kinds of wonky fun at the moment. I remember all the shenanigans with early USB and then USB2.0 support.

I've had something similar to this happen o me twice. In both cases it was due to driver updates being downloaded from Microsoft. Since then, I haven't accepted any driver updates from them, and all has been well ... mostly

I've had something similar to this happen o me twice. In both cases it was due to driver updates being downloaded from Microsoft. Since then, I haven't accepted any driver updates from them, and all has been well ... mostly